


the true meaning of treasure (happiness is our destination)

by Dusty_Skyes



Series: Land, Sea, and Sky [17]
Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: AU - Everyone lives, Cock Sucking, Fluff, M/M, Minor Angst, fluffiest fluff that ever fluffed, muir being amazing, teba overthinking things, there's really not a lot of tags for this one, voices
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-06
Updated: 2017-04-06
Packaged: 2018-10-15 11:26:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10555532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dusty_Skyes/pseuds/Dusty_Skyes
Summary: It begins with the shards of a shattered teapot that was once oh-so precious.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Here we go again! I managed to give you a chapter even though i'm a hundred and twenty miles out of state. 
> 
> Title comes from the poem "Our Journey" by Clive Blake.

     It begins with the shards of a shattered teapot that was once oh-so precious. As soon as that disastrous breakfast is over, Kass escapes back to their room the minute he is alone and digs up the pouch. The shards scatter out across his palm and he eyes them carefully before nodding and dropping them back into the bag. Almost all towns and cities that large enough have a market; he'd be very surprised if the Zora's Domain _didn't_. When someone steps into the room, Kass jerks and stuffs the pouch into a pocket, whirling around immediately with the intentions to pretend that he isn't up to anything. 

     Teba's hatching day is in a couple days and the fixed teapot is meant to be a surprise. 

     The intruder is only Muir, though, and the Zora looks rather interested in what he has just squirreled away. “What Kass hide?” he asks as he closes the door behind himself.

     Kass' brows go up, and he casually remarks, “You're picking up the common tongue very quickly,” in the hopes of successfully changing the subject. 

     Muir does not look impressed. “What Kass hide?” he repeats flatly. 

     The Rito sighs and, knowing that the Zora will not drop the subject, pulls out the pouch and spills the shards of porcelain onto the palm of his hand. “This is a teapot I gave Teba a while back. It got broken so I'm having it fixed for him.”

     “Pretty,” Muir agrees as he picks up one of the shards and turns it in the light. “Reason why?”

     “Teba's hatching day is in five days.”

     “Hatching day? Like hatch out of egg day?”

     Somewhat surprised that Muir knows what he's talking about, Kass nods. “The very same. Do Zora have hatching days too?” Muir gives him a wide, toothy smile, and nods. 

     “Yes,” he confirms. “Does teapot have...” The Zora trails off and makes a frustrated chirp.  _“Cups?”_

     “Cups,” Kass tells him, sounding the word out in the common tongue. Muir repeats it a little and nods. 

     “Does teapot have cups?” he asks and Kass pauses, thinking quietly. Eventually he shakes his head slowly. 

     “No... No, I don't think it does.”

     Muir beams. “Muir can make cups. Muir use  _'shiny'_ stones and shells.”

     Kass eyes the giggly Zora with something akin to amusement. “The word you're looking for is 'shiny'. And are you always going to speak in third person?”

     “Muir like it,” the Zora informs him with a haughty sniff. Then he announces, “It annoy Champion Rito,” and flounces over to the window and vaults over the sill. Kass watches as he makes his way over to the river and dives right in, not even making a single splash. The Zora's grammar is a little appalling, but he really can't blame Muir for the third person thing. Annoying Revali really is a lot of fun. 

     Huffing in laughter, he hides the shards of porcelain on his form and turns to leave the room. If he can just find Sidon, he can ask where the market is. 

     Or not, seeing as Sidon's in a meeting with the elders at the moment and Kass isn't about to interrupt  _that_ shit-storm just for some directions. Muzu's all right, if a little grumpy, but the rest of them? They're like vultures and Kass wants nothing to do with those horrible Zora. A somewhat muffled bellow of rage comes from the meeting room, edged in the smooth, cultured tones of Sidon's usual voice, and Kass turns around right then and there and flees from the palace. 

(He doesn't need directions desperately enough to get between Sidon and whatever has enraged him.)

** oOo **

     Actually finding the market isn't that bad. Finding the specific thing that he's looking for is a whole lot harder. It probably doesn't help that he's a Rito, something that most Zora have never seen before, and the little ones keep stopping him to ask questions. Kass answers them as best he can, balking at more personal ones like his sex life, and carefully weaves his way through the crowd, scanning each stall as he passes by. Eventually one of the Zora takes pity on him. “What are you looking for, Rito?” she asks. 

     He smiles at her and clacks his beak. “Somewhere I can get broken porcelain fixed.” 

     She blinks, thinks about it for a second, then points to a larger store just down another street. “There.”

     “Thank you,” Kass says, relieved, and then heads for it. The bell just above the door tinkles merrily as he steps inside, and the blue-feathered Rito looks around curiously. Porcelain lines the wall, some items whole and others fixed, and they're all incredibly beautiful. 

     “How may I help you, Rito?” a silky voice asks, and Kass turns to see a pretty, male Zora leaning over the counter. 

     “I, ah...” Finding himself at a loss for words, he pulls the pouch out and hands it over. “Can you repair this?”

     The Zora casually dumps the pieces into his palm and eyes them carefully. “None of the pieces are too small, nor are there too many. Yes, I believe I can,” he says, then names a price that isn't as terrible as Kass was expecting. 

     “That's not too bad,” the Rito says, “I was thinking it would be higher.”

     “You must be a very good friend of the prince to stay in the palace, so you get one item half-price,” the Zora informs him cheerfully. 

     Kass' lower beak flounders a little until he clacks it shut. “Half-price,” he repeats. “I'm terrified to ask what the price for liquid gold is.”

     He's given a long, slow look, green eyes narrowing just slightly. “That  _is_ the price for liquid gold, Rito. This is a very nice teapot, so it's obviously something precious that got broken.” The pieces of the pot are spread out across the counter top as the Zora works to piece it back together. Then a clawed hand picks up a larger shard. Red stains the end. “Huh, looks like someone accidentally cut themself on this.”

     Kass blanches the moment he realizes that Teba must have slit his wrists with a shard of the broken teapot. “I apologize for the blood,” he says weakly, still reeling at the thought. 

     But the Zora waves it off. “Nah, I'll just clean if off before I piece it together. Will you be paying half now or all upfront at once?”

     “All.” Somehow Kass manages to sort out the correct amount of rupees, even though his brain is still stuck the earlier realization. Teba had loved that teapot enough that breaking it must of broken something inside of himself; enough so that he'd use a shard in an attempt to end his own life. 

     Goddess, why didn't Kass  _see_ any of this? Was he really so caught up in his own misery that he missed Teba's constant internal screaming? Thank the Goddess for Muir. They never would have made it this far if not for the white Zora. 

(Teba would be alone and terribly broken.

Kass would be miserable and heartbroken.

Goddess only knows what Muir would have been.

Kass breathes in slowly, turns, and leaves the shop fighting back tears.)

** oOo **

     Kass and Muir are avoiding him. Teba frowns and turns away from the window, desperately trying to ignore the voices in his head. They're louder again, and seem to increase in volume every time the other two hide whatever it is they're working on from him. He vaults the sill and stalks over to the river, and is just in time to see Muir stuff whatever is in his hands below the surface of the water. The voices get louder. 

     T̵̳̂̆͠h̷̨̬̲̟͛͌e̸̮͋̍̽͠ͅẙ̷̫͕͒́̌ ̵̝̙̙̱͒̈͝d̶͎̈́o̵͚͍̬̎̈ń̸̛͉̼'̸̮̑̿͝t̸͖̰̤̟̄͊ ̶̦̪͍̺̐̚t̸̢̜̂͌r̷̠̄̏u̸̩̾͌͂ș̵͉̺̋͆̈́t̴̨̟͕̩͘̕ ̵̬͗ŷ̷̜o̶̢̙̔̿͜u̶̝̖͘,̸̧̥̈̊̏ͅ something in him whispers and Teba cringes inside.

     Muir, however, must see something on his face, because he frowns. His hands continues shifting under the water, smoothing whatever is within his hands out. “Teba... Kass and Muir love Teba. Teba hatching day soon. Gift not surprise if Teba knows what gift is,” he says carefully, the common tongue broken on his tongue, and Teba blinks. 

     His...hatching day? That's right. It  _is_ soon. Only five days left to go, if he remembers right, and something warm blooms within his chest. “You remembered? You...you got me something?”

     “Kass told Muir. Kass in town getting gift. Muir making gift to go with Kass' gift. Teba go? Muir want gift to be surprise. Muir gift done in fifteen minutes. Cuddle with Teba then, Muir promise.” Muir smiles at him, bright and toothy, and Teba turns to head back to their room, his heart attempting to burst from happiness. 

     Then the letter comes. 

_Teba,_ it reads.  _You are to cease dallying and return to Rito Village at once. The remainder of your vacation time is revoked. If you are not back in the village within five days, there will be repercussions._

     There is no signature but Teba doesn't need one to know that the elder has called him back. He swallows and shows it to Kass and Muir, heart thudding in his breast. But Kass just smiles. “I will return with you,” he says quietly. “I have played the Hero's Song to Link and now I really don't have any reason to travel other than for the sheer joy of it.”

     Muir on the other hand, shakes his head. “Muir cannot leave with Kass and Teba. Muir has a few things left here to do.” His gaze flickers towards the river and Kass seems to understand almost immediately. Throat closing up, Teba whirls around and flees.

     Kass and Muir watch him go silently. “Ah,” he says. “You will join us later, then?” Muir nods and holds up five cups carved entirely from shells. They're intricately done, the curled shell smoothed and sanded, then sealed to keep the liquid inside. The shell itself is a deep blue, splattered along the outside and the rim with gold. There is no handle, Rito don't really like them as their feathers are insulation enough, and Kass whistles lowly. “Impressive.” He admires the craftsmanship, carefully taking one cup to grasp it within his hand. It fits perfectly.

     “Muir make one more. Teba have six then.” Muir pauses for a moment, then gestures towards their room. “Teba upset. Misunderstand. Kass go with Teba. Muir follow when last cup done.” He takes the cup back from Kass' wings and shoves gently at the other. “Kass go. Don't let Teba be stupid.”

     A small smile curves Kass' beak and he nods. “I will,” he says before turning to head towards their room. The trip back will be long and semi-annoying and he's going to have such a hard time keeping himself from taking Teba against the nearest tree. And that's not including the fact that Amali, a very good friend of his, had informed him of how wonderful in-air sex actually is.

     Kass shakes his head sharply to dislodge the thoughts and flutters up to the sill of their room. Inside, Teba is packing quickly, and Kass can taste _sorrowupsetpain_ in the air. He sidles closer and tugs Teba against him, wrapping his wings around a slender, white-feathered waist. “Teba,” he murmurs quietly, feeling as the other stiffens. “Muir will follow us to Rito Village. He just has to finish your hatching day gift. The items he needs can only be found here and he can't take them with him.”

     “Are you sure?” Teba asks and Kass chirps a yes, nuzzling against the warrior's feathers.

     “We should head out after we inform Prince Sidon of where we are going.” Kass hums softly and runs the curve of his beak against Teba's own, crooning the same soft love song he sang when they first entered the Forest of Zoras. “Remember this, Teba. You are ours, just as we are yours. Nothing will ever change that.”

(Nothing will _ever_ change that.)

**oOo**

     It takes them five days to get to Rito Village, even flying as fast as they can, and night has long since fallen by the time the two of them actually arrive. Teba grumbles under his breath, eyes barely open, and stumbles a little as he unlocks his home and marches inside. Kass follows close behind and carefully drops their packs onto the table. They can take care of that in the morning. He watches silently as Teba heads down the hall towards his bedroom and steals a glance at the packs on the table.

     Inside his, heavily packaged to keep it from getting broken again, is the liquid-gold-lined teapot. Tomorrow Kass can give it to Teba on his hatching day, can see the other's expression of delight. He turns and follows him down the hall, curling up beside the white-feathered Rito on the bed. Together they slumber peacefully.

     When morning comes, Teba awakens to the oddest sensation. Pleasure floods his veins and he whines, unsure if he's still asleep or not, and opens his eyes. The covers that he and Kass had been sleeping under are gone and he glances down. There, mouth wrapped around his cock, is Muir, and the Zora pulls back to flash him a smirk.

     Teba thinks he's entirely justified in shrieking with surprise. Beside him, Kass jerks awake, takes one, bleary look at the situation, and starts to laugh. “Well,” he says bemusedly as Muir brings Teba to a rolling orgasm, “that's one way to start one's hatching day.” Teba slumps back with a groan, watching as Muir licks his lips clean, sucking every bit of seed off of his teeth. “How long did it take you to get here?”

     Muir smirks. “Two days. Just arrived minutes ago,” he says, looking extremely proud of himself, and Kass' jaw drops.

     “Two _days_?” Teba splutters. “It took us _five_! How did you manage it in _two_?”

     The Zora giggles and gestures to the window. Rain splatters down, heavy against the sill because of the wind. Once Muir has their attention again, he then melts into a puddle of water before reforming. “Like that,” he says. “Muir rode the wind as mist. Didn't have to stop or rest.”

     Kass nods admiringly. “Clever,” he says. Muir _beams_ and then gestures to the kitchen.

     “Gifts! Give Teba gifts.” He bounces off of the bed and pulls Teba to his feet, dragging the white-feathered Rito to the kitchen with all the enthusiasm of a child on Yule. Once there, he sets the kettle on the stove to boil and grins widely. “Kass first.”

     Shaking his head in amusement, Kass follows behind, fetching his wrapped present from the depths of his bags. “Here,” he says, suddenly nervous.

     Teba cautiously opens it, and his eyes blow wide when he sees what it is. Slowly he lifts the teapot from the box and clutches it gingerly. “This is...” he whispers.

     Kass smiles at him. “I hope you don't mind, but I had it repaired with liquid gold.”

     Muir giggles and presses his wrapped gift across the table. That one is opened to reveal six teacups made out of six, blue, curled seashells, complete with matching saucers. Teba lifts them out of the box, his eyes wide and gently sets them onto the table next to the teapot. “You...you two...”

     “Happy hatching day,” Kass murmurs, leaning over to nuzzle the warrior's feathers. Muir croons softly, and happily presses kisses against Teba's beak.

     The knock on the door startles them and Muir splashes down, dissolving into a puddle of water that slides underneath the table and out of view. Kass jerks and sidles out of view of the door, eyes narrowed, and shares a look with Teba. They had informed no one of their arrival, so why would anyone be knocking at the door to Teba's home?

     Silently, fluffing his iron-tipped feathers outward, Teba makes for the door and opens it. “Yes?” he asks flatly, then gets a good look at who is on the other side. There, soaked to the bone and looking incredibly pissed, is the elder, Kaneli. Behind him stands a guard, looking irritated and annoyed.

     “Teba,” Keneli begins furiously, “why have you not reported for patrol?”

     Teba stares at him. “What?” he beings, then seemingly remembers his manners and steps back and away from the door. “What are you talking about? I just got in last night.” He turns and removes the whistling teakettle from the stove, then pours the hot water into the fixed teapot and adds tea leaves. “Today is my hatching day, elder. I was going to spend the day recovering from my flight and then report for patrol tomorrow.”

     Teju, one of the Rito guards who has always had it out for Teba, snorts. “A likely story.”

     “But true,” Kass interrupts, stepping into the room. “Good morning, Teba,” he says, greeting him with the lover's nuzzle and ignoring the way Teju chokes. He reaches over, picks up four of the seashell cups, and pours tea out into each of them. Kaneli takes his with a murmur of thanks. Teju doesn't touch his.

     “I see you two have sorted things out,” Kaneli says, beaming. “That's good. And there seems to have been a misunderstanding here. Your wooden plaque in the Grand Hall was flipped last evening, so I put you on patrol. The group was rather annoyed when you didn't show.”

     Teba frowns. “I haven't been up there at all. Kass and I flew straight here last night and pretty much crashed. I was going to flip my plaque tomorrow.” He pauses, a horrible thought occurring to him, and he narrows his eyes right at Teju. “Teju, you wouldn't happen to have flipped my plaque in an attempt to be 'helpful', would you? And that letter that brought me back here in the first place...you wouldn't happen to have written that, too?”

     Teju winces and the elder turns towards him. Underneath the table, Muir apparently decides that he's had enough and roars upwards, water swirling around into the shape of a monsterous demon. It bears foot-long teeth, snapping them together, and lunges at Teju. He scatters, bolting for the door with a shriek, but Kaneli doesn't so much as flinch, instead sipping peacefully at his tea. “Interesting effect,” the elder comments, casually reaching over to refill his cup. “I wasn't aware Zora could do that.”

     Muir settles into a seat and takes the untouched cup. “Muir is amazing that way,” he says, and the owl snorts in amusement.

     “Elder,” Teba begins, “this is Muir. He is our third.”

     Kaneli smiles. “It's a pleasure to meet you, Muir. Do take care of Teba.”

     The Zora flashes him a smile full of teeth and nips at Teba's beak.

(Quietly, Kaneli begins plotting the wedding.)

 


End file.
